Dramatic Structure and Style

Abstract

Shakespeare’s experiments in theatrical style at the end of his career were not confined to his adaptation of features from the court masque. The Tempest shows an awareness of neo-classical concepts of dramatic form which give precise focus to the complex interrelated themes of the play. The theatrical skill of The Tempest resides essentially in Shakespeare’s careful compression. All extraneous elements have been eliminated and the remaining material carefully and meaningfully arranged. This compression is achieved in two ways: by concentrating on the final stage of the story, and by observing the neo-classical Unities of Time, Place and Action. A major weakness in each of the three previous romances is the handling of place and time. Pericles takes place ‘dispersedly in various countries’; Cymbeline shifts from England to Italy to Wales; and The Winter’s Tale alternates between Sicily and Bohemia. A further problem is provided by the necessity of a long gap in time, so that we may see Marina and Perdita both as abandoned babies and young women as well as follow the lengthy story of Imogen’s adventures. The devices of Gower and Time as choruses and the clumsy dénouement of Cymbeline are all expedients which draw attention to the difficulty of giving to the material of fairy tale and romance a clear theatrical shape.